Sport, soccer and lifestyle: Diadora turns 70

To celebrate its 70th anniversary, Diadora presents a special exhibition. In a glamorous setting, the Stazione (Station) Leopolda in Florence, with different contemporary artists, who will give life to works with multiple expressive languages, during Pitti Immagine Uomo.

Soccer cleats Roberto Baggio, Diadora, 1994.

Diadora: 70 years of sport

Among all the brands which made the history of Made in Italy, some occupy a special place in our memory. Diadora, a Veneto based company founded in 1948 and now run by Enrico Moretti Polegato, is closely linked to the history of Italian sport.

Soccer cleats Marco Van Basten, Diadora, 1994.

Since the Seventies, Diadora has been one of the first companies to sponsor major sports champions, customizing soccer cleats such as those for Roberto Bettega, Marco Tardelli or Roberto Baggio, tennis shoes, for example for Bjorn Borg or Boris Becker, or running shoes, for Edwin Moses or Ben Johnson.

Soccer cleats Francesco Totti, Diadora, 2008.

In the Eighties, Diadora started to collaborate with the Bioengineering Centre in Milan, with which it developed technical and material innovations, which enabled the company from Montebelluna to extend its range to other sports, such as basketball, volleyball, Formula 1 racing, motorcycling, fencing and boxing.

Cycling shoes Francesco Moser, Diadora, 1990.

Since the 1980s, sports shoes have been increasingly popular as fashion accessories. In the early years of the new Millennium, the company introduced the Heritage line, the brand’s premium line; Diadora has thus become a symbol of technology, innovation and lifestyle made in Italy.

Running shoes Edwin Moses, Diadora, 1984.

For Diadora, Made in Italy is about preserving italian craftsmanship, one of the most appreciated traditions in the world. Some models of Diadora shoes are still made with the techniques and machines of the past, hand-stitched and finished.

Biker boots for Marco Lucchinelli, Diadora, 1984.

To proudly celebrate its 70th anniversary, Diadora organizes an exhibition, curated by Davide Giannella, in Florence, during Pitti Immagine Uomo. The show celebrates the brand with a series of works by contemporary artists, inspired by speed, as a common element of the sports in which the brand has been a leading player.

Basketball shoes Dino Meneghin, Diadora, 1984.

The artists Ducati Monroe (Diego Perrone and Andrea Sala), Maisie Cousins, Gabber Eleganza, Invernomuto, and Patrick Tuttofuoco, will use a variety of expressive languages, such as design, photography, motion images and sculpture, for an outstanding exhibition.

Tennis shoes Bjorn Borg, Diadora, 1981.

“It Plays Something Else“, an exhibition to celebrate Diadora’s 70th anniversary, curated by Davide Giannella, is held at the Stazione (Station) Leopolda and is open to the public on January 9 and 10, 2019.